I had a down week. And it was crazy because I was so up before that. Have you ever had those days where you feel like a dark cloud is following you?

That’s exactly what I was experiencing that week. I was mulling over everything I didn’t have or haven’t done. I was feeling so “Woe is me,” and it reminded me of who I used to be. A person who felt sorry for themselves and like they had nothing going for them, but honestly had so much more than so many people that they should be on their knees thanking God every minute of every day. And it was rooted in external and material things. Though I was praying, I couldn’t shake it and then I realized that every single day is a fight for your life and livelihood.

I know it may sound dramatic, but if you’ve been following this blog for some time you know I have a flair for the dramatics. But even still it’s really true. You know what helped me realize it? Once I was going into the second week of womp womp feelings, I stood up to my negative thoughts. I woke up and was feeling groggy and like life wasn’t going my way and that I was so stuck and wishing I had the money to do this and that and blah blah blah and I said “NO!” I stood up and said “This is enough!” I said:

I am the righteousness of God.

I am financially free.

I am a best-selling author.

I am happily married.

I am strong and bold.

I am driving a new and dependable car.

I am influential.

I affirmed my life because I was tired of the enemy casting doubt in every good thing that I have going for me. I mean I was down and out about everything. I was down and out that I don’t have rich parents that could just help me do stuff. MEANWHILE, I have two of the most selfless, giving, supportive parents anyone could have and I literally wanted to smack myself for even having the thought. Like you ungrateful idiot. How dare you? (Harsh, but I really had to repent on that one guys.) I felt so stupid. I felt like a brat. I felt like someone who has no idea how much they sacrificed to try to give me the best life that they could. (I’m claiming temporary insanity on that one.)

Either way, you get my drift. Life is NOT perfect. It’s just not. And I was completely letting the enemy invade my space to have me thinking that I don’t have a great life. I mean really. I didn’t even see that I was in some weird depression until I got out of it and it was no longer hard for me to get up in the morning. Our mental state is REAL yall and it affects every other part of our life. The second I affirmed myself, I was jumping right out of bed and getting to work!

If you have not read The Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer, I really suggest you do. We don’t even realize how much warfare we are fighting in our minds before we ever even step on the “world’s” battlefield. My Pastor said this the other day and it resonated with me. He said, “Do you know the devil is trying to kill you?” He’s not just trying to confuse you and make you doubt, he is trying to TAKE YOU OUT! When you love Christ and you are yelling from your blog or the mountain top that loving Jesus is the thing to do, do you think that the enemy is playing with you? NOOOO! He is trying to do everything he can to stop the advancement of the kingdom.

Now this is not to be confused with the people that are always like “the devil made me do it.” LOL. Not at all. But what I am saying to you is that he comes for your mind first. When we allow negative thoughts to dwell, it can change the course of who we are and what we were sent here to do. Do you know how much time was wasted because I was feeling down on myself and couldn’t drag myself up earlier enough to complete the tasks that I needed to continue to make an impact in this world that will give glory and honor to God??? That is a TACTIC!

Delaying obedience so that it will become disobedience and then I am missing something that God had for me to expand my portion. You get me? I could have stood up and fought against those thoughts DAYS ago. It took me too long, just letting them live there and fester and affect my LIFE.

Every day we are in a fight. Not one seen but unseen. That is why the Bible talks about praying without ceasing. That is why the Bible talks about renewing your mind day and night. Because if you don’t, the enemy is WAITING and he will try it. We need God, every single step of the way, because the days are evil and we live in a carnal world that we can only survive by tapping into the spirit.

I hope you hear my heart. I know I am digging in a bit more than usual, but I realized this is some serious stuff. We do not have time for doubt and fear when there is work to be done. So as my Pastor Ro would say, let’s put our big girl panties and big boy boxers on and speak the word over our lives, not just when it’s convenient or just when others are watching, but EVERY SINGLE DAY.